The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt

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HYDE PARK, Tuesday—Mr. Emilio Delboy, who is a feature writer for some Peruvian newspapers, came with my cousin, Mr. Monroe Robinson, to lunch yesterday and was a delightful guest. He kept assuring me that he understood all that was said, but that his own English was so limited that he could not express his appreciation of the opportunity to spend these few hours with us.

I kept assuring him that if I found myself with a group of Spanish speaking people, I would have been far less articulate than he was and not as understanding. When I am given plenty of time, I can read simple Spanish, but I cannot say one sentence.

After lunch, I took three gentlemen, Mr. W. Colston Leigh, Mr. Robinson and Mr. Delboy over to see the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, and they were very much interested in the various collections.

Monday being the day when the library is closed, I felt very guilty when I looked up to see a group of girls from the Dominican Fathers Camp, gazing at me through the windows as we walked about. A little later I went out and sat in the car, waited for the others and read my newspaper.

All the girls gathered around me and took photographs and just gazed at me while I tried to find out if there was any special thing they wanted to talk about. There did not seem to be, and so they started off on their hike back to camp. We returned to the cottage in time for a short chat before our guests had to leave on the afternoon train.

Then a young man came to see me and brought me a copy of a song which he had written. He had spent some time in various veterans' hospitals and was concerned in this emergency to do what he could with other American veterans to help some of the English wounded. He hoped his song would contribute to the support of St. Dunstan's, which is a very remarkable school for the blind.

This morning we left fairly early, crossed the river at Highland, and travelled up on its west side to the Pioneer Youth Camp. I have long been interested in this camp, which is supported partly by contributions from union labor organizations, partly by youngsters who can pay, and partly by private individuals who give contributions.

The camp has been run on interesting lines. The attempt is always made to let the children develop themselves through working out projects and interests of their own. Many of them come from the city and have never had any contact with country life. To see a cow milked, to set a hen and see the chicks hatch out, to find out about a water system, or make a topographical map of their own surroundings, is an entirely new experience and a very thrilling one.

E.R.

(COPYRIGHT, 1941, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.)


Names and Terms Mentioned or Referenced

Geographic
  • Hyde Park (Dutchess County, N.Y., United States) [ index ]


About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, August 13, 1941

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

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Digital edition published 2008, 2017 by
The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project

Available under licence from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

Published with permission from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

TEI-P5 edition published on April 28, 2017.

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Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
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